Color indication for multicolor weft-replenishing looms



March 27, 1928. 1,663,945

C. R. HOWARD ET AL COLOR INDICATIQN FOR MULTICOLOR WEFT REPLBNISHINGLOOKS Filed OctQa. 1926 ZShoets-Sheet 1.

TNVENTO R CHARLES R How/\RD RICH A'RD W WPGNER- March 27, 1928.1,663,945

c. R. HOWARD ET AL COLO R INDICATION FOR MULTICOLOR WEFT REPLBNISHINGLOOKS Filed Oct. 8. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 vINVEN-FQR J l 5 A I CHARLESFf. HOWARD Plan/was W. WAG-NE'F? A-r-r-oRNEys Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT CHARLES R. HOWARD AND RICHARD W. WAGNER, OFWORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO CROMPTON & KNOWLES 'LOOM WORKS,OF WORCESTER, MASSA- CHUSETTS, A COREORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

COLOR INDICATION FOR MULTICQLOR WEFT-REPLENISHING LOOMS. 7

Application filed October 8, 1926. Serial No. 140,352.

This invention relates to multi-colorweft replenishing looms and it isthe principal object of the invention to provide a simplified colorcontrol forth'e magazine or weft replenishing mechanism. 1

In weft replenishing looms employing two or more boxes it is necessaryto have the magazine coordinated with theactive shuttle so that thecolor selector may choose a bobbin of the proper color to'be introducedinto the exhausted shuttle. It has been proposed heretofore to keep thecolor selector of the magazine in time with the active Sl111t tle inworsted looms by a direct connection with the chain which is attached tothe box lifter rod. The comparatively slow speed of the worsted loommakes this type of indication possible, but it will be seen that it isnecessary for the boxes to come completely to rest before the colorindicator can operate. On gingham looms this type of indicationis foundto be too slow and there are accordingly used rotating cams which givethe indication in advance of the completion of the motion of the boxes.This latter type of motion is found satisfactory on two and four boxlooms but the compounding of the levers incident to such construction isfound to involve considerable mechanism when applied to a six box loom,and it is an important object of our inventionto provide a simplemovable member having an indicating surface to correspond with eachshuttle and movable with the boxes in a single plane so as to occupyvery little space, each indicating surface being provided with a dwelland the dwells being separated by inclined or cam faces which move thecolor indicator to its proper position prior to the arrival of the boxesat their final-position, this latter construction permitting arelatively'higher rate of speed of the loom than would be possible if nodwell werefused.

It is a further and more specific object of our invention to providea'sliding'and multi-faced cam operatively connected with the box red,the cam moving in a straight line and being so connected to the box rodas not to partake of the swaying motion of the latter as the lay movesback'and forth. It is a further object of our invention to provide amulti-facedcam to position the color selector wherein the cam derivesits movement from the box lifting lever so as to share all the movementsof the latter and to assume as many different operative positions asthere are-boxes.

-In the slow running worsted looms pre-' 'viously mentioned theindication for the color slide is derived from the chain which isattached to the box lifter rod. It not infrequently happens that ashuttle will not be properly boxedjust prior to the shifting of theboxes so'that the latter will be held against sliding movement. Underthese conditions the color slide will be held against movement by animproperly placed shuttle and a misindication to the magazine mayresult. It is a further object of our invention to connect the colorslide directly to the boxlifter lever so that although the conneetionnormally employed between the lever and the box lifter rod yield when ashuttle is misplaced the color slide will nevertheless receive acomplete movement due to the fact that the box lifter lever alwaysreceives a complete motion.

' ;VVith these and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, our invention resides in the combination andarrangement of partshereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein we have shown a convenientembodiment of our invention", Fig. l is a side elevation of a loom havmg our invention applied thereto, the boxes being-indicated in sectionand a portion of the box motion being shown diagramn'iatically 2 is anenlarged horizontal section on line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the compoundlevers for moving the boxes in top plan view, 7

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail front elevation of the lower part of thecam showing the manner in which the same is mounted,

line 4.t of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is' an enlarged section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4',

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section on OFFICE.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged v ertical section on line 66. of Fig. 1, showingthe connection between the box lifter lever and the two links associatedtherewith, and

Fig. 7 isan enlarged side elevation of a portion of the color slidecontrolling cam showing the relation of the dwell portions thereof withrespect to the roll when the boxes have completed their shiftingmovement.

- with upwardly extending links I which is connected as at 17 to theend-of .ing to the demands of the box motion and under control of apattern chain (not shown). These P11110118 :are ,each provided 16 one ofthe box lever '18 and the other two-of which are connected as at -'19totheopposite ends of a lever 20 mounted on a stud 21secured to the boxlever '18. The stud21 has'engagement with an arm 22 pivotedasat '23 toafixed part of the loom. The boxlifting lever 18 is -therefore supportedat two points one of which'is. given three positions by the pinions '18and 15 and the other or which is given two positions by the otherpinion. By reason of 'this mechanism the right hand end of theleverlS-as viewed in Fig. 1 is' given six different positions undercontrol of the pattern mechanism.

The forward end of the lever '18 is oper .ativclyconnected as at -24 toa depending link 25 .pivotally and yieldingly connected as at 26ionai'box lifter rod '27 the upper-end of which supports-a mu'lti-ce'llbo-x28 inthis instance shown as. adapted to receive six different shuttles.The 'forin o'f box-motion described herein is well-known and may be ofthe usual sowalled Cromp'tojn type.

The weft replenishing'mechanism which is located at that side'ofthe loomopposite the box iIDOtlOHGOHIPIYlISE-S a stand30 on which are mountedfor vertical reciprocation six slides 31, one for each shuttle. Saidslides are provided with laterally extending lugs 32 which cooperatewith a color slide 33' mounted on a rod 34 slidably mounted in spacedbearings 35 formed on the stand 30. A collar 36 fixed to-the rodil fihasoperative connection with the upper end of a bell crank lever 37 pivotedas at 38110-21 part of the stand 30. A spring plunger '39 interposedbetween alparrtiofthe lever 37 and a fixed part of the stand tends to'move the rod 8 1 normally to .the left. 7

By nieansof mechanism not shown herein the color slide 33 is given anoperative angulai- In'iovement with respect to the vertical slides 31and is so related to the latter that but one slide will ,be moved at atime,

namely, the slide which corresponds to the shuttle which is to :bereplenished. That part of the mechanism relating to ithe automaticfeature andmounted ton standl30 may be substantially the sameas setforth in pat ent to :Ryon No. 1 ,030,? 18.

Our present invention relates more par- I ticularly to the devicesinterposed between .thebox rod 27 and the lever 37 to position the colorslide .33 correctly with respect to .the slides 31; 'In carrying .ourimprovements intoeffect we connect the .reja rfwardly extending arm 40of lever "37 to adep'ending connector 50, the lower end of which isconnected to an arm 51 secured to arocker shaft 52 which extends acrossthe loom, that end of the rocker shaft adjacent the box motion end ofthe doom having secured thereto a second arm 5 3,the upper 'endofrwhic his adjustably -connected to au'o'd ii l. The fforward :end of. said rodis operatively eon nected as at 55 to a slide 56shownmore par- 60 of aradius preferably less than the fdi-stance :between the center of-1=pin-59 and the forward endof the slide "56. 7

lvfotion is imparted to the slide '56 'by means of a multi-faced cam 61having a series .of dwells "62 connected by intervening cain facesi63,said cam being formed as shown in Figs. "1, 3,and 4, and hav'irigtlmupper portion thereof formed with a tliin web 5 64 and having theforward vertical portion thereof formed with a 'guide flange 65. Inorder :to guide the oam the lbracket 58 is provided with' adependingarm'fititi provided with a vertically extending notch 6-'(which receives one side of flange 65; The

other side of the ifiange is' received in pockets 68 defined by %a rear:veitical wv'all of the arm 68 "and clips 69 secured ltoythe bracket bybolts .70.. The pockets 67 and :68 house the flange =65 and guide thesame for vertical movement. J V a The lower end of foam $61 is providedwith a ifoot .7 1 pivota ll-yconnected as at '72 to an upwardlyextending link 7 3 and said ilin'k is pivotally connected to the stud lfcarried tby the box lifting lever 318 in a nianner similar to thatindicated in Fig. 6. As indicated :in said figure the stud receives theupperend of connector 25 and is providedwith a shoulder 74 whichbearsagainst one. side of the box lifting lever 18. The stud extends throughthe lever 18 and lhasa reduced portion 75 on which is mounted a spacing-col- 1 lar 76. A washer 77 is held against vtlie collar-12.76 byInutf'FS' and ;the .upper end of link 73 has an opening .whidh receivesthe collar 76, the 'thickness ;of theuipperpart of said link 73 beingslightly :less than the thickness of cdllar. 76.. "By uneans 10f thestructure shown in Fig; .6 both the illIlkS =25 and 73 will be movedvertically with theibox i lever 18 and slight back and forth JmDVB-ments of the stud Q' ldue to :the lrocki-ng of lever 18 about itsvarious centers will not be communicated to the multi-faced cam 69because of the link 7 3, said link imparting vertical motion to the camwithout requiring the same to partake of the motions either of the boxlifting lever or the box rod.

In operation, spring plunger 39 will hold the roll against one oranother ofthe faces of the cam 61, said roll being in contact with thelowest dwell portion 62 of the cam as shown in Fig. 1. l/Vhen the boxesshift the cam 61 will move vertically with the boxes so that the roll 60will be displaced horizontally by one or another of the dwells 62,depending upon which box is active. The motion of the slide 56 will becommunicated to the lever 37 and the latter in turn will position thecolor slide 33 to register with the slide 31 corresponding to the activeshuttle.

Referring to Fig. 7 it will be seen that the dwells 62 and cam faces 63are so located that when the boxes have completed their shiftingmovement the roll 60 will be in contact with the mid-portion of one oranother of the dwells 62. When shifting from one position to another theroll 60 will come to its final position in advance of the boxes so thatthe color slide 33 will be accurately positioned with respect to theslides 31 before the boxes come to rest, the purpose of thisconstruction being to permit an early rocking of the color slide 33 asset forth in the aforesaid Patent No. 1,030,748.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we have provided a very simplemechanism for imparting a comparatively large number of movements to thecolor slide 33, said mechanism including a multi-faced cam movable by aconnection with the box lifting lever. It will further be seen that thecam is so connected that although the same moves bodily it can be guidedto have a right line movement and not partake of the oscillations of thebox lifting lever 18, this result being accomplished by the link 73.Furthermore, it will be seen that the dwells permit the roll (50 andtherefore the color slide to come to rest before the boxes completetheir shifting movement, the advantage of this construction being thatthe color slide can be given an operative movement before the boxes cometo rest, thus gaining the time necessary when the loom is running at acomparatively high rate of speed. lVhile the multifaced cam has beendescribed as having a right line movement, yet we do not wish to belimited to this construction, and it is further to be understood thatthe type of box motion illustrated herein is for illustrative purposesonly and that we do not wish to be limited to this particu-' lar form ofdevice for raising and lowering the boxes.

Furthermore, it will be seen that the color indication will'be given tothe magazine properly even though the box lifter rod be "held againstmovement by an improperly boxed shuttle.

Having thus described our invention it will be apparent that changes andmodifications may be madetherein by those skilled in theart withoutdeparting from the spirit and scopeof the invention, and we do notoperatively connected to the boxes, a multi' faced cam operativelyconnected to and de-. riving its movement from the box lifting lever,and connections between the multifa ced cam and the color selector onthe weft replenishing mechanism to position the latter in any one of anumber of positions equal to the number of boxes.

2. In a weft replenishing mechanism having a plurality of shiftingshuttle boxes and a weft replenishing mechanism provided with a colorslide to select a proper bobbin for the exhausted shuttle, abox liftinglever operatively connected to the boxes, a multifaced cam operativelyconnected to and deriving its movement from the box lifting lever andcapable of assuming as many different positions as there are boxes, andoperative connections between the multi-faced cam and the color selectorto give to the latter as many diiferent positions as there are boxes.

3. In a weft replenishing mechanism having a plurality of shiftingshuttle boxes and a weft replenishing mechanism provided with a colorslide to select a proper bobbin for the exhausted shuttle, a box liftinglever operatively connected to the boxes, a multifaced cam operativelyconnected to and deriving its movement from the box lifting lever, saidcam having a plurality of dwells spaced by cam faces, an actuator forthe color slide having operative contact with the slide and normallycontacting with one of the dwells at substantially the mid point thereofwhen the boxes are at rest, and operative connections between theactuator and the slide. 3 i 7 4. In a weft replenishing mechanism havinga plurality of shifting shuttle boxes and a weft replenishing mechanismprovided with a color slide to select a proper bobbin for the exhaustedshuttle, a box lifting lever operatively connected to the boxes, amultifaced cam mounted on the loom for right line movement andoperatively connected to and deriving its motion from the box liftinglever, and connections from the cam to the color slide to impart to thelatter a plurality of positions equal in nnmber to the-number of boxes.

5.- iIn -21 Weft'replenishing mechanism having a plurality of shiftingshuttle boxes and a weft replenishing mechanism provided With a colorslide to select a proper bobbin for the exhausted shuttle, a box liftinglever oper-etively connected to the boXeS,'zLmultifaced cam operativelyconneetedto and deriving its motion from the box lifting lever, fixedguides along whiehthe-cam slides,=a slide guided for movement transverseto the path of movement of the multi-faced cam, said slide being incontact with one or another of-thc faces of the can'nend connectionsbetween theslide and the color selector of the Weft replenishingmechanism, Whereby the inulti-faced cam-moves the color selector to'anyone of a plurality of positions depending upon the position of themultifaced cam.

i 6. In a- "We'ft -rep"lenishing meehenismhaving apluralityolshiftingshuttle boxes anda "Weft replenishing inechanismprovided with a eo1 r 'slide toselect-a proper bobbin for the exhaustedshuttle -a'box flitting "lever operatively connected to the boxesgamultfaced-cam'oper-atively connected-to and derlvmg ts 4 motion from "thebox '-l1ft1ng{lever, anectua'tor dorthe color sl1'de,'and a singleresilient means operatively connected ='t0 the color slide of the Weft"replenishing mechanisin and the ectu-atoi"-therelor, said -resil-ientmeans-"tending to "hold the actuator'in yi'elding'contaetwvith the lacesof the multi faced cam, and connectionsbetween .sziid actuator "and 'thecolor slide of :the weft replenishingmechanism. b

In testimony whereof We have hereunto ztfiixedoursignatures. I

CHARLES R. HOWARD.

RICHARD lVQflVAGNER.

